Alethia Tilford is one of only nine Wisconsin students in the running for the award, considered the nation’s highest honor for graduating high school seniors.

Created in 1964, the program was honors some of the nation’s most distinguished high school students. Of the nation’s 3.3 million graduating seniors, only 4,300 are candidates for the award, based upon exceptional performance on the ACT or SAT college admissions test, and just 565 students earn the right to be considered semifinalists.

Candidates were invited to complete an application that includes essays, self-assessments, secondary school reports and transcripts and an independent national committee of educators selected the semifinalists.

MPS Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver joins Reagan Principal Mike Roemer and the MPS family in congratulating Alethia on this recognition.

State Superintendent Dr. Tony Evers congratulated Alethia and all the winners “for their hard work and congratulate the partners and teachers who supported this accomplishment.”

The Commission on Presidential Scholars will narrow the list of 565 semifinalists to 121 academic Presidential Scholars and 20 Presidential Scholars in the Arts before June, when winners will travel to Washington, D.C. to be recognized.

About Milwaukee Public Schools

Milwaukee Public Schools is committed to accelerating student achievement, building positive relationships between youth and adults and cultivating leadership at all levels. The district’s commitment to improvement continues to show results:

More MPS students are meeting reading standards

The MPS Class of 2014 earned $31 million in scholarships, up $7 million; and

MPS is home to 4 of the state’s top 15 high schools according to U.S. News and World Report